HAYS, Kan. — After suffering a heartbreaker in the first game, the Newman softball team bounced back with some big offense to force a doubleheader split in nonconference action against Fort Hays State Wednesday afternoon.
The Jets (14-32) took a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh against the Tigers (14-37) in Game 1, but the hosts rallied for a 4-3 walk-off win. Newman pounded out 11 hits and was the beneficiary of five errors to pick up a comfortable 9-5 win in the nightcap, which was the Jets' final nonconference game of the season.
After a quick first inning, Jensen Cromer singled to start the second inning in the opener, and proceeded to steal second. With two outs, the senior came around to score on Delaney Hiegert's single up the middle to give the guests the lead. They doubled it in the third, as Rachael Withers picked up a one-out single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Mikayla Medbery's sacrifice fly to left.
Withers also scored the Jets' third run, reaching on a fielder's choice in the top of the seventh and eventually scoring as Erin Jankiewicz reached on an error with two outs. In between, Cromer cruised through the first five innings in the circle, allowing just three singles and no walks to keep the Jets in front.
Fort Hays started the sixth with two straight singles, but a big double play got Newman out of the jam. They weren't able to work the same magic in the seventh though, as four singles and a walk tied the score up, and the Tigers walked off with the win on a one-out double.
Kendra Mendoza had a pair of hits in the game, while the Jets stole seven bases, which is a new single-game program record in the NCAA era.
Newman didn't seem to let the loss bother it for long, as the bats got to work early in the second game. Medbery, Jankiewicz and Taylor Mannis all notched singles, and an error helped boost the Jets to a 3-0 lead before the Tigers came to bat.
Fort Hays got its own bats going, cracking six hits and plating five runs in the bottom half to take the lead, but that was all the hosts would get as Kate Smith settled in for the Jets. The senior eased around six hits and two walks to shut out the Tigers over the final six innings.
That left plenty of time for Newman to wrestle control back. That started as Bayley Horsch doubled to lead off the second and Withers singled on a bunt. Both scored on an error, and Cromer put up an RBI single to put the Jets back in front for good at 6-5.
Two more errors made it 8-5 in the third, and Jankiewicz tacked on an extra run with a single through the middle in the sixth.
The Jets managed 11 hits in the game, as Alyssa Taylor went 3-for-4 and Medbery and Jankiewicz each added two hits. Medbery swiped three bags in the game, and Hiegert added two to give Newman 12 stolen bases on the day.
Newman returns home for the final time this season this weekend, hosting St. Edward's for a three-game set on Friday and Saturday, with Senior Day ceremonies taking place Saturday.
